Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Persuasive Letter Planner: Free Printable Planner for Year 6
- ForYear 6
- StageKey Stage 2
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Persuasive Letter Planner is a free printable planner for Year 6 (ages 10 to 11). Children plan a letter that argues for a longer sports day. They jot short notes in a table first, then turn the plan into a full letter on another sheet. Page 2 gives the grown up notes, help ideas, a stretch task and answers.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children plan a persuasive letter that argues for a longer sports day. The sheet gives a table with the headings Part, What to write and My ideas. Children fill in each row with short notes, not full sentences. The idea is to sort out their thinking first. Once the plan is complete, they write the letter on a separate sheet, using the notes as a guide.
- Part
- What to write
- My ideas
Building a persuasive letter
Know your reader
A persuasive letter works best when the writer knows who will read it and what they want that person to do. Choose a reader first, then pick reasons that matter to them.
Give strong reasons
Each reason needs a little support, such as an example or a likely result. A reason with support is more convincing than a bare opinion.
Use persuasive devices
Try a rhetorical question, a list of three, speaking directly to the reader, or strong positive words. A few well chosen devices work better than lots squeezed in.
Finish with a request
End by saying clearly what you want the reader to do. Then thank them for their time.
Why plan before writing a persuasive letter?
Persuasive writing tries to change what a reader thinks or does. In Year 5 and 6, children are expected to plan their writing by thinking about the audience and purpose, and to choose language that suits both. A plan gives them somewhere to collect ideas before they worry about spelling, handwriting and sentence structure.
A sports day is a good topic for this skill. Every child has an opinion about it, and the reasons are easy to understand without any research. That lets children concentrate on how to argue well: putting points in order, supporting them and choosing words that persuade. Once they can do this on a familiar topic, they can use the same planning on harder ones.
Skills and curriculum link
- Planning writing
- Persuading
- Organising ideas
- Writing for an audience
- Choosing persuasive devices
Ideas to help with persuasive writing
- AudienceThe reader shapes the writing. A letter to a head teacher sounds different from a note to a friend, so children should decide who they are writing to before they plan.
- Reasons and supportA good reason answers the question "why?". Adding an example or a likely result makes the reason harder to argue against.
- Order of pointsMany writers put a strong point near the start and save another strong point for the end. Linking words such as First, Also and Finally make the order clear.
- ToneA persuasive letter should sound polite, confident and reasonable. Shouting or being rude makes a reader less likely to agree.
Key words
- PersuadeTo try to make someone agree with you or do something.
- AudienceThe person or people who will read your writing.
- PurposeThe reason you are writing. For this sheet, it is to persuade.
- Persuasive deviceA writing trick that helps convince a reader, such as a rhetorical question or a list of three.
- Rhetorical questionA question asked for effect, where the writer does not expect an answer.
- Counter argumentA point that someone on the other side might make against your view.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Read the sheet through together the first time. Talk about each choice before anything is written.
- Ask your child to say each idea out loud, then fill in each row of the table with short notes.
- Turn the finished plan into a letter on a separate sheet, then check it against the notes on page 2.
- Come back another day to try a new topic or improve the letter. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Say each idea out loud before writing it down. Use sentence starters such as First, Also and Finally to put the ideas in order. Write only a few words in each row of the table. The full sentences can wait for the letter.
To stretch confident children
Add a counter argument and answer it. Start with a sentence such as: Some may say it costs too much, but... Then give a reason why that worry should not stop the plan. Add it to the letter.
Make it a game
Swap letters with a partner. Read each other's work and score it out of 5 for how persuasive it is. Say one thing that worked well and one thing that could be stronger. Then rewrite your own letter.
Talk about it
- Who would you most like to persuade, and why would they listen?
- Which of your reasons is the strongest? How do you know?
- What might someone say against your idea? How could you answer them?
- Is there a time when someone persuaded you to change your mind? What did they say?
- Which persuasive device would suit your letter best?
- How should a letter sound if you want a grown up to take it seriously?
Take it off the page
Kitchen table debate
Pick a small family decision, such as the choice of a weekend outing. Each person has one minute to argue for their idea. Then the family votes.
Persuasive advert
Choose an everyday object and draw a poster that persuades people to want it. Add a slogan that uses a list of three or a question.
Letter to someone
Write a short, polite letter to a relative asking them for something sensible, such as a visit. Give two reasons and a clear request.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first go and let them lead. Ask them to say their ideas aloud before they write. Praise good reasons and clear thinking, not only neat writing.
Teachers
Use it as a starter before a persuasive writing unit, as a planning scaffold, or as a homework task. Page 2 offers support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups. Pairs can swap letters and score them.
Home educators
Print it as part of a wider English plan. It pairs well with reading real letters and adverts, and with everyday talk. Use it again for brothers and sisters, or for revision a few weeks later.
Where this skill fits
Before this planner, children usually learn to give an opinion and support it with a reason. They meet persuasive texts such as adverts and speeches, and they practise simple linking words to join ideas together.
After it, children can plan persuasive pieces on other topics and write for different readers. They can also learn to balance both sides of an argument, and to edit their own work so that every sentence helps the purpose.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Persuasive Letter Planner for?
It is written for Year 6 (ages 10 to 11), in Key Stage 2. Children in Year 5 who enjoy writing may also like it, and younger children can try it with help from a grown up.
- What will children practise?
They practise planning persuasive writing for a clear audience and purpose. They organise their ideas and think about persuasive devices. This matches the composition strand of the Year 5 and 6 National Curriculum for England.
- Why plan before writing the letter?
Planning lets children sort their ideas before worrying about spelling and sentences. A short plan makes the letter clearer, better ordered and more convincing. It also stops children running out of things to say halfway through.
- What if my child finds it hard?
Ask them to say each idea out loud before writing it. Short notes are fine in the table. Sentence starters such as First, Also and Finally help them put ideas in order. Page 2 has more support.
- Is it free, and do I need colour printing?
Yes, it is free to print for home and classroom use. No colour is needed. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper, so any printer will do.
- Can teachers use it in class?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 offers support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups.
- Is this a screen free activity?
Yes. It needs only paper and a pencil, so it suits quiet time, rainy days and school holidays. Writing by hand also gives children time to think about their words.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.